Last 2016 of summer I’m taking my vocational course dress making in Tesda Binan. One night before my class. I decided to have my devotion for tomorrow class. As I started my devotion I turned on my cellphone to have a music and I choose the song “Like a Fire” by Planetshakers. While listening to the music the lyrics made an Impact to me “Jesus, I’m desperate for You. Jesus, I’m hungry for You. Jesus, I’m longing for You~ ,‘Cause Lord,You are all I want” Then later on the word “I’m” changes to “They” I don’t know why but I think it is God who whisper to me. That’s why when I read one of the verses that I pick on my Vitalight (it looks like a medicine bottle but the inside of it are bible verses) it says “I will guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. Proverbs 4:11”. And that’s my Go signal that I have to follow whether I like it or not I need to follow. For I know He will guide me.
I was very nervous on how I will share the word of God to other people, My hands are very cold and at the same time my heart is beating so fast because of nervousness. Like duh?! It’s all new, new environment for me , new people, and new attitude so it’s really hard for me if I’m going to share the word of God or not. I don’t know How am I going to start…..for Pete’s sake! They are older than me how could an eighteen years old manage to speak? Most of them are 25 years old and above. SEE?! My age is very different from them. But because this is God’s purpose to share the word not only to my friends and family but also to other people. I asked my cell leader before the day I decided to share, I texted “What verse should I share to them especially if this is there first time?” She said “John 3:16”.After our little conversation I list down on my notebook everything I’m going to say to these people from start to the end.
During our class God provide a break time which it is a great opportunity…I was about to get my notebook on my bag SHOCKNESS hit me for I forgot my NOTEBOOK! . I don’t know what to do! God is really pushing me to share his word. Then suddenly I saw the Vitalight Inside my bag and an idea suddenly popped out in my mind. And that’s is to used this as an Ice breaker, I let them pick on the bottle I saw Shock in their eyes…And that’s the start how I shared How God loved them so much and also through the used of John 3:16.Then later on They started to share their life story. Then suddenly one of my classmate shared her life and according to her she’s having a suicide thinking but thanks to God it made her realize how God loves her. Up until now whenever I remembered this experienced I can’t believed that I really did it! Truly when God said go, Don’t say no.
“Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and He will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.” — Acts 3:20 (NLT)
We all know what it feels like to be weary.
Life has a way of draining us. Responsibilities, disappointments, losses, sickness, financial pressures, ministry challenges, and simply growing older can leave us feeling exhausted. Even faithful believers…
To get the most out of this devotion, set aside time to read the Scripture referenced throughout.
Throughout Scripture, we find examples of people who longed to encounter God. Moses sought His glory (Ex. 33:18). David asked to meet Him in person (Psalm 27:7-9). And Job directly experienced Him—resulting in humble repentance (Psalm 42:4-5). The stories…
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want/lack,
HE makes me lie down in green pastures, &
HE leads me beside still waters.
HE restores my soul;
Faith is often expressed by the casual manner
in which people act.
The expression of their faith has an everyday feel about it.
An old preacher once said, “If your stuff is thin, you will
have to holler loud to make it thick.”
A lot of hollering goes on because people’s faith is weak.
In the story of Elijah & the 400 prophets of Baal on
Mt. Carmel, after the prophets had wailed all morning
for Baal to respond, Elijah told them,
Holler a little louder! Maybe he is meditating, or has
gone on a journey, or possibly he is asleep.
Holler a little louder! — 1 Kings 18:27, paraphrase
So, no hollering for us.
Casualness shows the confidence of our interaction
with the rule of GOD from the heavens here & now.
Casual confidence is what we see in passages such as
Psalm 23. We need to take passages like this &
meditate on them as something for our real life.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Stop there for a moment & think:
You are going to go through this whole day without wanting.
Obviously today is going to be different, isn’t it?
But after all, that is what it says.
And we have other passages from the NT:
My GOD will fully satisfy every need of yours according
to HIS riches in glory in CHRIST JESUS. — Philippians 4:19
Is that real, or shall we just make
another song out of those pretty words?
“My GOD will fully satisfy all my needs.”
So now you have that in your head, but
what is in your heart & in your life?
Concentrate on that question for yourselves as Christians.
I want you to have confidence in the constant interaction
that says, “Because of my experience, because it is reality,
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
HE makes me lie down in green pastures;
HE leads me beside still waters;
HE restores my soul.
HE leads me in right paths for HIS Name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil.
Today you are not going to fear any evil.
This is going to be another new day.
“I fear no evil, for YOU are with me.”
Don’t you suppose that is something we would know,
something we would know because of the
presence of GOD actually making a difference
in our lives as we trust HIM?
YOUR rod & YOUR staff — they comfort me.
Rods & staffs, that sounds like experience doesn’t it?
YOU prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies; YOU anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life, & I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
Psalm 23 was not written so that we could recite it at funerals.
One of our problems as a church is that so many of the
wonderful statements in the Scriptures that are meant
to reflect the honest experiences of those who have
learned to live in interaction with GOD are in fact
ritualistically & magically quoted by people who
don’t believe a bit of it, because they are scared to death!
Nothing has ever happened to them that they are certain
is the personal hand of GOD in their lives.
And it drains the life out of those verses.
>>Take Psalm 23 into the day with you tomorrow.
It is the presence of the LORD with us.
Consider this passage from Hebrews 13:5-6:
For HE has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”
GOD’s presence is the whole story.
This interaction between us & the GOD
WHO is present with us always is
what the resurrection is really about.
The meaning of the resurrection isn’t just that JESUS won;
it’s that HE is now living with us.
>> So how does that work?
It works with words.
The kingdom of GOD works with words.
Remember, we are talking about a reality that is personal
through & through.
That chair you are sitting on, & all of the other things
we are trained so carefully to believe are independent,
are not going along on their own.
They are all subject constantly
to the will & WORD of GOD.
That’s faith! That’s 23rd Psalm faith.
When Paul says things like,
I know the one in whom I have put my trust, &
I am sure that HE is able to guard until that day
what I have entrusted to HIM. — 2 Timothy 1:12
he is talking on the basis of experience.
And that experience came about as a result of the
encounter between himself & GOD & the daily
knowledge of GOD’s hand in his life.
Excerpted with permission from The Allure of Gentleness by Dallas Willard, copyright HarperOne.
Your Turn
Has this devotion given you a new perspective on Psalm 23?
Do you feel the hand of GOD in your daily life?
How are you practicing His presence?
Today, let’s choose casual confidence in the knowledge of
HIS sufficiency for our real daily lives.
Come join the conversation on our blog!
We would love to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily
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